Makai Lemon was the 2026 first-round pick who entered camp after winning the 2025 Fred Biletnikoff Award.
Lemon won the award as a USC Trojans wide receiver after a highly productive 2025 season. The Biletnikoff Award recognizes the nation’s top FBS receiver, making it one of college football’s clearest indicators of elite pass-catching production.
The Philadelphia Eagles selected Lemon 20th overall in the 2026 NFL draft. His college résumé included 79 receptions, 1,156 receiving yards and 11 touchdown catches, numbers that helped separate him from other prominent receivers in the class.
A common mix-up is confusing the award winner with other 2026 first-round receivers such as Carnell Tate or Jordyn Tyson. They were high-profile prospects, but Lemon was the player carrying the previous season’s Biletnikoff honor into NFL training camp.